A dognapper is being sought for stealing a woman’s pooch from her Brooklyn front yard in a disturbing incident caught on video.
A 74-year-old woman told police she briefly took her Shih Tzu named Romeo Rivera outside for “a bathroom break” in the vicinity of Jerome Street and Pitkin Avenue in East New York, when surveillance cameras captured the suspect approach the animal before taking it on March 18.
Investigators are now asking the public for assistance in finding the dog and the alleged thief.
In the footage, the small, white dog can be seen inside a fenced area and excitedly wags its tail as the suspect walks up to it with what appears to be a cart. The pup runs toward the person, who then leans forward and pets him through the fence.
The video provided by authorities ends with them both moving out of the frame before they disappear.
According to police, the individual is described as a male with a light complexion and medium build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, a black sneakers and red baseball hat.
There were no reported injuries related to the incident.
The alleged dognapping follows a spate of similar thefts in the city.
A teenager was arrested after he pulled a gun on another teen walking his dog on Christmas morning in Queens and stole the kid’s French bulldog last year, according to police.
In November, two masked thieves were captured on camera entering a Bronx apartment with a stolen set of keys, and taking a litter of four-week-old puppies.